House Bill 112 that Rep. Austin Badon has filed would require public school boards around the state to redefine their code of conduct pertaining to the bullying or harassing of gay, lesbian, transgendered and disabled students.

Meanwhile, Sen. J.P. Morrell has filed Senate Bill 211 to prohibit a state employer -- not a private company -- from discriminating on the basis of "sexual orientation, gender identity or expression and political affiliation."

Badon's bill would redefine "harassment, intimidation and bullying" in school to include any intentional "gesture or written, verbal or physical act" that has the effect of harming a student or putting the student in fear of injury, death or damage to property.

Badon said the bill would expand the bullying law now on the books to make it a violation of the school board's code of conduct for the harassment to take place not only on campus but on school buses or at school-sponsored events.

The bill would target abuse directed at victims based on "actual or perceived characteristics" such as race, gender, religion, ancestry, national origin, sexual orientation, "gender identity or expression," physical characteristics, mental or physical disability, political persuasion "as well as attire or association with others identified" by those categories of individuals.

Badon's bill has been assigned for a hearing to the House Education Committee, which he chairs.

The bill also would reinstate six parishes in the Baton Rouge area that were exempted from the original bullying law: East Baton Rouge, Livingston, Tangipahoa, St. Helena and East and West Feliciana.

"Some of these kids are not the strongest mentally and can't handle it," Badon said.

Morrell's bill, assigned to the Senate Committee on Labor and Industrial Relations, would apply only to state agencies, boards, commissions and departments.

State law now bans discrimination based on race, religion, sex and national origin. Morrell's bill would add sexual orientation, gender identity or expression and political affiliation.

The bill says the state agency cannot discriminate in hiring, firing, promotions, granting tenure or in salaries. It also prohibits the agencies from harassing or discriminating "against any individual" in providing services or benefits.

"This (bill) singularly deals with government employment," Morrell said. He said that similar measures that failed in the past have included the private sector.

He said his narrower approach "should reduce the number of people who oppose it, like the Louisiana Association of Business and Industry," the state's biggest business lobby.

Morrell's bill says that no part of the proposal would prohibit state employers from "establishing appropriate dress and appearance requirements" for employees, but must allow "any employee to appear and dress in a manner consistent with the employee's gender identity or expression."